‘Give me cash and I’ll move you up the NHS waiting list’: Cancer patient claims he was the victim of cash for appointments scam at Buckinghamshire hospital

Amersham Hospital

Ryan Watts

Published:12:13Wednesday 23 August 2017

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A cancer patient claims he has been the victim of a ‘cash for appointments’ scam, after alleging he was solicited for a bribe by someone purporting to be a member of staff at a Buckinghamshire hospital.

The 83-year-old says he received a phone call from a man claiming to work at Amersham Hospital on August 4, who promised him an earlier procedure time for an upcoming operation in exchange for a fee.

The victim was contacted a further time, and told to “think about it”, before reporting the incident to management at the hospital, and to the police.

The paper has agreed not to name the man.

His daughter, who works in Aylesbury, said: “He didn’t have an initial appointment booked and had been waiting and waiting.

“He was diagnosed a few weeks before.

“This man phoned him and said I can get you an earlier appointment if you make it worth my while, or else you’ll be waiting a long time.

“It’s an awful, awful thing to do and it’s completely beyond me how anyone could do that.”

Upon reporting the incident to staff at the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, the patient was issued an apology, his daughter told The Bucks Herald.

He has since been called in for an operation, attending the hospital on August 22.

A spokesperson for Buckinghashire Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases.

“It is Trust policy to treat all our patients according to NHS guidelines and agreed care pathways.

“We take all breaches of procedure very seriously and will investigate any allegations that point out possible failures in our commitment to deliver safe and compassionate care.”